It is often desirable to maintain beverages at a temperature suitable for drinking over an extended period of time. The problem, of course, is that left alone, a hot beverage in a container will continually cool until it reaches ambient temperature. Over the years, several attempts have been made to maintain the temperature of liquids in a container. The most notable example is the Thermos.RTM. insulated container. Generally, this device, and others like it, keep liquids at relative constant for extended periods so that they can be consumed at a later time. Also, hot liquids are often prepared and poured at extremely high temperatures, too hot for consumption, and must be cooled before they can be consumed. While these types of devices work well in situations in which a beverage is not to be immediately consumed, they are not effective for use when the beverage is to be consumed almost immediately upon being poured into the container: traditional insulated containers keep the liquids at too extreme a temperature for enjoyment.
Over the years, attempts have been made to create containers that alter the temperature of beverages before they are consumed. One example is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,076 to Anthony which discloses and claims a spill and scald resistant container designed to lower the temperature of a liquid before it is consumed. The device works in conjunction with a conventional cup. The cup, complete with liquids, is placed into the device in an inverted fashion and the device is sealed and inverted. The liquid in the cup then flows to an opening through a gap created between the device and the cup. The container itself draws heat from the liquid to lower the liquid's temperature. While this device recognizes the problems associated with cooling hot liquids before consumption, it is not without its shortcomings. A first shortcoming of this device is that it is difficult to use in that a conventional cup must be inserted into the device and the device inverted. This requires an appropriately sized cup, which may not be readily available. More importantly, there is an increased risk of spilling the hot liquid. A second shortcoming of this device is that it does not maintain the liquid at a desirable drinking temperature inasmuch as the device is constantly cooling the liquid.
Other examples of devices designed to alter the temperature of liquids in a container are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,680,330, 2,838,916, 1,721,311, and 929,389. These devices all address the cooling of liquids before consumption.
There is need, therefore, for a simple self-contained device which permits a hot liquid to be cooled to a comfortable drinking temperature and maintains that temperature for a period of time.